


i know i’ve gotta let you go

by elliemints



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Angst, Cancer, Fluff, Hospitals, M/M, My first fanfic please be nice, Needles, Parent Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups, Terminal Illnesses, yes seungcheol’s daughter is loona’s choerry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:54:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27609283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elliemints/pseuds/elliemints
Summary: in which choi seungcheol loves, loses, grieves and learns to move on with the help of an overly energetic kindergartener and a sweet but quiet neighbor
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Jeon Wonwoo, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 19





	i know i’ve gotta let you go

**Author's Note:**

> Possibly some mistakes, but enjoy! <3

**_2016_ **

  
  


The plan had been for them to just go into Yerim’s first yearly checkup, get the basic things, and then Seungcheol would take her to get a toy that she wanted, because he loved to spoil her. So when the doctor, after Seungcheol told him about things he had been noticing about the one year old, referred him to a hematologist, Seungcheol got nervous. He didn’t know what a hematologist was exactly, until the doctor explained, and then the nerves that he had been feeling just got worse.

Apparently, a lot of the things that were happening to Yerim were leukemia symptoms. How was he supposed to know that? Instinctually, he began to blame himself for not seeing a doctor sooner, but Seungcheol kept telling himself that it’s okay, that his precious daughter is okay and it’s just a false alarm. They’ll just prescribe her medicine and they get to go home. 

On the following day, he held his daughter throughout the entire appointment, when they poked and prodded her with needles. It pained him just as much as it pained Yerim, listening to her cries was absolutely awful, and Seungcheol will do anything to never have to hear any of that again. Then the hardest part comes, the waiting. He is so grateful that Yerim doesn’t have a clue about what was happening, but it was like she could sense the anxiety coming from her dad, and she kept latching on to him. Seungcheol didn’t know what he would do without her. 

Then, the meeting happened, and Yerim was officially diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. 

“Seungcheol-ssi,” their doctor, Dr. Yoon—his best friend Jeonghan’s father, and the only doctor he was comfortable treating his daughter—said, and Seungcheol looked up at him as he rocked Yerim side to side, “unfortunately, and I need you to know this, most leukemia patients only have around five years if not treated quick enough.”

His heart sank, as he froze from the doctor’s words. It’s as if someone had dropped a literal bomb on his home at that moment. Though, that news probably could have been so much easier to handle than the words he just heard. Seungcheol’s hands began to tremble as he tried to continue listening to what was being said to him, he just couldn’t, and before he knew it, tears started pouring from his eyes. He only realized once he watched one fall onto Yerim’s head. Dr. Yoon’s words echoed in his mind.

Five years. 

_Five years._

Seungcheol doesn’t hear anything after that. His focus is on his sleeping daughter. The light of his life, she’s the only person who he would do anything for, and now there was a possibility that she would leave him. Now, in the blink of an eye, her days were possibly limited just like that. He pressed a kiss onto Yerim’s forehead, and cradled her impossibly closer, as if she’d leave him at any moment. 

“So,” Seungcheol started, wiping his eyes with his sweatshirt sleeve that had been pulled over his hands, “what do we do now?”

\-----------------------------------------

The following week, Yerim began chemotherapy, and Seungcheol stayed with her the entire session, and every session she had after that. He’d lay in the hospital bed next to her, reading stories that she adored or watching a dumb children’s cartoon on his laptop he owned. His phone would stay off for her sessions, because his focus was Yerim and Yerim only. Seungcheol wanted her to be as comfortable as possible, even if this might be some of the worst parts of her life.

When they’d get home after sessions, Mingyu always visited. The younger male absolutely adored Yerim as if she was his daughter. He was a child development major, and loved being around kids. Truthfully, Seungcheol was extremely grateful for Kim Mingyu, and was always grateful that him and Jeonghan moved across the hall once their relationship got serious, because the amount of times that Seungcheol needed a last-minute babysitter since he started his second job was unreal. 

Fortunately, this schedule only lasted for a year. A year of way too many hospital trips, absurd medical bills, and feeling anxious about the littlest things. Then Yerim was cleared, began the remission stage, and Seungcheol felt his worries lessen. Her little spark came back that had gone away two months into chemotherapy, and he felt like everything would be okay.

( _This little voice in the back of his mind reminded him that it probably isn’t, but he ignores it for now_.)

\-----------------------------------------

**_2020_ **

“APPA! APPA!” The squeaky voice of an energetic five year old fills the small bedroom. Light streams in from the window, making Seungcheol’s eyes burn, and also signals that it’s probably early morning. groans, it’s a Saturday. He worked late last night and had hoped, prayed, that his daughter would sleep an extra few hours. Obviously, she did not. Considering the yelling has not subsided, and this is one of the times he’s very grateful that there is no one living in the apartment beside them.

He heard the sound of small feet running into his bedroom, and before he could even blink, Yerim’s small body had jumped onto him. Specifically, onto his stomach, knocking the air out of the twenty-five year old. He let out an even louder groan as his daughter began to giggle, her mischievous smile on full display. 

Seungcheol sat up, and placed Yerim onto his lap, a (joking) scowl on his face, fueling Yerim’s giggles. “Good morning princess,” he kisses her forehead, “now why did you wake me up this early?”

He already knows the answer; she wants pancakes. It’s her favorite food which probably stemmed from the week last year where Seungcheol had to rush home for a family emergency, and Yerim stayed at Mingyu and Jeonghan’s house. Mingyu cooked her pancakes for the first time, since Seungcheol almost always just gave her cereal, and the little girl was sold. So now she always wants him to make her pancakes.

Yerim’s smile widened, and Seungcheol raised an eyebrow at her. “It’s breakfast time appa, and you know that that means,” she drawled. 

“Yes Yerimmie, I’ll make you your pancakes.. just give me a sec, ‘kay?” Seungcheol stretches his arms and legs before picking Yerim up and carrying her to the kitchen. She latches onto him as they walk through the small apartment, and he places her onto the kitchen counter before grabbing what he needs to make the pancakes.

As he’s grabbing the pancake mix, Seungcheol hears Yerim clear her throat and he quickly looks at her. “What’s wrong? Do you not want these today?”

“Noooo, I do! But…” she smiles sweetly, “appa, you know how much I love you, right?”

Seungcheol gives her an incredulous look. “Okay, what do you want from me?” He knows her tricks, that’s always the phrase she says before asking for something from him. 

She hops off of the counter, giving Seungcheol a heart attack because he thought she fell, and he watches her as she walks over to the freezer and opens it. Yerim looks at him with the same sickeningly sweet look, and Seungcheol thinks about it for a moment, because what in the world is in the freezer that she- oh.

Oh _now_ he gets it.

“Yerim, it is,” he looks at his phone, “9 am. I am not giving you ice cream at 9 am you’ll get sick. And I don’t like when you get sick.” For obvious reasons that he won’t be saying out loud to his daughter.

The small girl huffs, and crosses her arms, “But Uncle Hannie gave me ice cream yesterday morning when you weren’t here!” 

“What?” Seungcheol questioned, his eyes widening. “Is that why you were so energetic yesterday morning?” He remembers vividly Yerim rudely awakening him by jumping on his bed, and him, and yelling a bunch of random things. At the time, he just thought she was just really awake, this makes more sense.

_Wait a minute._

“Yerim..” the little girl looks at him and raises an eyebrow, “how in the world did Uncle Hannie get into our apartment?” 

Her eyes widen, and she looks at her wrist. “Oh, would you look at the time? I have to go.” She quickly runs away, ice cream long forgotten, and Seungcheol sighs. He’s too tired to chase after her at the moment, he’ll just question Jeonghan later.

A knock at the door pulls him out of his thoughts and he sighs. He’s just trying to make some damn pancakes. “Who the hell knocks on a door at 9 am?” Seungcheol mutters under his breath, and he walks over. It’s probably Jeonghan asking for some random ass favor that Seungcheol is currently not in the mood to give the time and day for.

“Listen, Jeonghan, if you need me to run to the store for you to pick up some more fabric for you, I’m going to lose my mind,” He complains as he opens the door, and makes eye contact with someone who is definitely _not_ Jeonghan. Seungcheol chokes on his spit because for one, he’s embarrassed that he just yelled at a stranger and two, said stranger is gorgeous.

The man, who looks to be in his mid twenties, raises an eyebrow. “Fabric?”

Seungcheol laughs awkwardly, and scratches the back of his neck. “Ah shit, I’m sorry I thought you were my friend, he’s the only person who comes knocking at 9 am most of the time.” The man doesn’t look upset. In fact, he doesn’t look upset at all, he’s actually smiling.

“That’s all good. I’m Wonwoo by the way, I just moved next door yesterday. I heard yelling this morning and I thought if I came to ask what was wrong, I could initiate small talk.” Wonwoo explains while he fiddles with the end of his sweatshirt sleeve.

He smiles “Ah, I’m Seungcheol,” he introduces himself as he leans against the doorframe, “and that yelling you heard would be my-”

“APPAAAAA!”

“-...daughter.”

Yerim comes bouncing into the main room. “Appa, are the pancakes done yet?!” She exclaims, and then she stops once she makes eye contact with Wonwoo. “Oh, hi.”

Wonwoo waves at her. “Hi, I’m Wonwoo, your neighbor.” Yerim walks over to him and looks up at his face. She stares for a bit, Wonwoo feeling a bit weird under her judgemental stare, and Seungcheol is scared that she’s going to insult him or something.

“You’re pretty.”

Wonwoo’s eyes widen and he chuckles as Seungcheol’s face goes red. “Jesus christ Yerim you can’t just say that.” He facepalms at Yerim shrugs. Clearly, she doesn’t care about how her (extremely embarrassed) father is feeling.

Fortunately, Wonwoo doesn’t get upset. Instead, he just smiles. “Well thank you Yerim, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten that compliment before.” 

Yerim smiles slyly at her father. “See, appa? He loves it.” Seungcheol questions everyday where she got her personality from, because it sure wasn’t from him. 

“Well,” Wonwoo runs a hand through his hair, “I gotta get going, I have work in like.. 30 minutes. I just wanted to introduce myself.

Seungcheol smiles. “Well, it was nice to meet you Wonwoo-“ He’s interuppted by a tug.. well, multiple tugs on his sweatshirt. He looks down, “yes, Yerim?”

“Let’s invite him to dinner tonight!” Yerim exclaims. 

_What_?

“Dinner?” Seungcheol asks her.

Yerim nods excitedly. “Yes! Uncle Mingyu told me last night that they were making dinner tonight and I invited ourselves, and can we pleeeease invite Wonwoo!” 

“You invited ourselves-“ Seungcheol rubbed his temple and sighed. “Okay, okay,” he looks up at Wonwoo. “Are you doing anything later?”

Wonwoo shakes his head. “No, I get off of work at 5, but I -“

Yerim claps. “Yay! I’ll see you later! Bye Wonwoo!” The two men watch her with confused and exasperated faces as she starts to run to her room, before suddenly stopping and turning around. “Oh, and don’t forget my pancakes!”

Seungcheol watches her until she leaves his sight, then turns back to Wonwoo. “I’m.. really sorry about her. You don’t have to come, but it’ll make her really happy if you do.

Wonwoo contemplates for a second, then says, “Well.. if you guys don’t mind I guess I’ll come.”

His words bring a smile to Seungcheol’s face. “Don’t worry, Yerim and I definitely don’t mind, and I’m pretty sure Jeonghan and Mingyu won’t as well.”

Wonwoo nods. “Then I’ll see you later I guess.” He smiles as he walks down the hall towards the elevator. Seungcheol waves and closes his front door. 

To be honest, that was not how he expected that conversation to go. Now that he thinks about it, if Yerim didn’t intervene, that would have been an extremely awkward conversation.

Seungcheol walks back to the kitchen, because he knows if he doesn’t make those pancakes in the next twenty minutes, not only will he be starving, he’ll have to deal with a very angry kindergartener. 

\-----------------------------------------

“Appa.”

“Yes, Yerim?”

“I like Wonwoo.”

“I’m glad you like Wonwoo, princess, but you like everyone.”

“That’s not true!”

“Then who do you dislike?”

“Uncle Soonyoung.”

“..what, why?”

“He stole my ice cream last week! The madman.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! Honestly, I wrote this on impulse and I’m posting this on impulse so yeah. I’ve never written anything before except like a few things here and there, nor have I ever posted them for people to read. Sorry this chapter might be a bit all over the place, but it’ll hopefully get better. 
> 
> Anyways, this will be chaptered so look out for (irregular) updates. Thanks for reading!! Mwah <3
> 
> \- Eli


End file.
